Reported Plan to Attack Belgian Premier Prevented
Belgium's authorities have arrested three individuals suspected of conspiring to carry out an strike on the nation's prime minister, Bart de Wever.
Federal prosecutors characterized the suspected scheme as a terrorist act motivated by jihadist ideology targeting the PM and additional politicians.
During searches conducted in the Deurne area of Antwerp, in proximity to the PM's private residence, investigators uncovered a alleged improvised explosive device and evidence that the suspects were preparing to deploy a drone.
While the intended targets of the attack were not publicly identified by the legal authorities, Vice Premier Maxime Prevot confirmed that Belgium's leader was included in the targets.
"Reports of a intended strike directed toward PM Bart de Wever is profoundly disturbing," Prevot stated in a message on X on the investigation day.
"It highlights that we are dealing with a very real extremist danger and that we have to keep watchful," he added.
The three suspects arrested on suspicion of plotting a terrorist killing and participation in the functions of a terrorist group all are based in Antwerp, according to the prosecutor's office. They were born in the early 2000s.
On Thursday evening, one person was freed, while the other suspects were undergoing questioning and expected to face a judge on the following day.
Federal prosecutors said that the suspects were detained after a magistrate authorized raids of their residences in the urban area by police officers supported by explosive sniffer dogs.
It was during these investigations that they located a device which closely resembled a homemade bomb, legal representative Ann Fransen stated at a press conference on the day of the events.
Investigations also revealed a container of metal spheres and a three-dimensional printer, with evidence suggesting drone-based payload delivery, she noted.
Fransen disclosed that there had been 80 terrorism investigations launched in Belgium this year - exceeding the overall count of cases in 2024.
Earlier this year, five suspects were convicted for a previous year's plan to attack the prime minister while he was acting as Antwerp's mayor.
